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Preah Khan
Born into the strife-torn wastelands of the Flint River, Preah Khan sought to elevate himself above his station. To that end, he would build an army, not to conquer his homeland but instead to forge an empire out of the Detroit Wasteland. He would become the first of the so-called Warlords of Detroit, triggering decades of strife and violence that would shape the region for decades to come. However, he would ultimately be bought down by one of his own followers, who deposed him and sent him into exile. History Rise to Power The man who would become Preah Khan was born William Barrow in a settlement inside the ruins of Flint in 2145. He came into an environment of constant violence, where different groups clashed with one another for control of meagre resources, surrounded by toxic water, contaminated soil and mutated creatures. From an early age, he embraced the kill or be killed lifestyle of the region, as much from the need to survive as any desire to fight. By the age of eighteen, he was the leader of a raider gang that controlled a portion of Flint, but inside he desired for more. William knew that his tiny empire was at best going to be transitory. Sooner or later, he would be killed, and another strongman would come along and take what he had. To his eyes, the entire Flint River region was a wasteland, one that was beyond redemption, caught in an endless cycle of violence. Its people never sought to build or create or improve themselves, but rather to simply kill their opponents and take what they possessed. The names might change, but the Flint River region would remain locked in a degenerative cycle forever. But for all that, he could see the road to a better future, one that lay not in the Flint River region, but rather beyond it. Stories had reached him of settlements growing up in he ruins of Detroit, ones that had achieved permanence and stability rather than being constantly torn asunder by violence. Using what assets her could bring to bear, Barrow did his utmost to discover the truth of these stories, going through travellers, traders, scavengers and the like to harvest information. What he found astounded him; there were three settlements, Grand Central, Chryslus Castle and Park Lane, growing out of the ruins of the fallen city. All three had managed to survive for several decades now, and had grown rather than be subsumed back into the wastes. In those three, William Barrow saw his future. He would leave this wasteland of perpetual violence where nothing ever changed, and instead travel to Detroit. And then, once there, he would conquer those settlements and make them his own. However, in order to do that, he would first need an army. Barrow knew that he would not be able to raise one from the local region; the gangs, scavengers and other powers were simply to fractious to work together, and any attempt to unify them would merely provoke more infighting. Rather, he devised an ambitious plan, one that would take years to unfold. Gathering up those followers he could, Barrow headed away from the Flint River and into the Michigan wilderness. Along the way, Barrow forged himself a new identity. Abandoning his birth name, Barrow retitled himself as Preah Khan, taking his inspiration from a fragmentary history book he found along the way (It is assumed that he didn’t know of the Great Khans, and that the similarity of name is just a coincidence based on the same historical sources). His followers were likewise reformed as an army, its members given rank and structure. This was the beginning of Preah Khan’s Long March. For the next five years, Preah Khan would roam the Michigan wilderness, conquering everything that came into his path (Preah Khan’s army passed by the entrance to Vault 54 without ever being aware of its existence). He targeted any force that might offer him some resource, be they settlements, raider gangs or whatever else. However, those that he conquered were not put to the torch; rather, they were absorbed into his army. Raiders were forced to surrender, their members inducted into his ranks. Settlements were captured as intact as possible so that they could provide him with supplies. Those that had merit, be they useful skills or talents, were promoted and raised to positions of authority within the new order. Finally, in early 2174, Preah Khan felt that his army was ready. He moved his forces towards the Detroit Wasteland, eyeing it for conquest. Category:Raiders Category:Michigan